Rihanna finds the right 'balance'

The 'Rude Boy' singer endured a turbulent 2009 after being assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown but she insists she has found peace at last.

She explained to Seventeen magazine: "There's a balance in my life that wasn't there before. It's a really different peace, a different energy. I'm really enjoying life right now."

The 22-year-old pop star admits the attack left her shaken and made her re-evaluate certain aspects of her life.

She added: "The assault came at the end of an incredible year for me, career-wise. Now I kind of look back on it as the beginning of a new era, almost like it was a wake-up call for me. It was a massive turning point for me in my life."

Now Rihanna - who is rumored to be dating Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Matt Kemp - is encouraging her fans to find the happiness she has by pursuing their own goals.

She said: "Don't be afraid to be yourself just because you're not like everybody else in class.

"If you want to dye your hair green and that's what makes you happy, then dye your hair green - no matter what other people might say about it. Not everybody is going to like you, that's the world we live in, that's reality."